What Comes After The Light
by Lett
Summary: She never thought she would be the hallucinating type when she died. When she dared open her eyes she saw the angel of death staring at her with blue eyes that promised nothing. She was already dead... wasn't she? GenesisTifa
1. Chapter 1

**IMPORTANT: **This is a continuation to the story I released in _**The Men in Her Life.**_ It's entitled "**And Then There Was Light**" and is the 4th oneshot in the series.

This picks up where immediately after the METEOR incident. Updates sporadically. Prompts are from the 30 nights community in LJ.

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_1/30 - Black Wings; Wings._

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She was breathing. _She_ was _breathing_.

It was strange how the afterlife mimicked life-as-you-knew-it. She was dead, surely. There was no logical way she could have survived METEOR; not with the plates of Midgar above her head. She'd been _so_ ready to die too. Surely the world would not disappoint her considering that it had made a point to make her life as miserable as possible at every given turn. It would not cut her some slack, she was sure of it.

Still, she felt warm. Dead people don't produce warmth. Or was she just imagining it?

She opened her eyes and waited for her senses to work again. She could see nothing around her, even after blinking several times. Had she gone blind? She could remember a flash of light, a blur of colors then movements; a black wing that wrapped around her with such gentleness it reminded her of the hands of her _almost_ lover.

_O__h_, how she remembered him; blue eyes like icicles but had the effect of melting her insides, sensual lips that was as good with words as with nipping at her skin. It was almost enough to make her wish she wouldn't die just yet. She could never be satisfied with just a kiss from him... No, one kiss could never be enough.

But things were over now. She sobbed and was surprised when she felt the sound break through the silence that enveloped her like a cloak. "H-hello?" she croaked out, thankful that her voice was still intact. Surely she was not going to be blind and mute at the same time. And because she heard her voice, she could safely say that she had not gone deaf as well. She could handle being blind as long as she was not deprived of her other senses.

So was she alive after all?

Little by little, she began to feel the small aches and bruises in different sides of her body. She turned her head to one side and was surprised at the texture that brushed against her cheek. It felt like a thousand prickly upright strands of hair that tickled her skin and sent shivers down her spine. She tried to think back to the last time she felt those and what they could be.

Then it clicked in her head. Chocobo... _feathers_. Feathers on a_ wing_.

She tried to lift her hands and realized that there was a heavy weight around her midsection, preventing her from moving freely. She raised her other arm and traced the object with her hand and was surprised when her hands recognized the telltale curve of muscles and the outline of gloved hands that rested against her abdomen.

There was movement on her left as she heard and felt the rustle of feathers once again. She turned her head to the left and saw eerie blue green eyes that shone with a light of their own much, like a cat's in the darkness.

"Boo." He said half-heartedly and tightened his grip on her stomach, pulling her closer to him.

"I should have known..." she muttered as she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace, resting her nose against his neck and breathing in deeply the smell of musk, steel, leather and sweat of the man beside her.

She felt him sigh with approval as she buried herself into his arms and allowed the darkness to envelop them once again.


	2. Chapter 2

_2/30 - Frozen moment at the first sight_

She was being led through the dark. Her only connection and guide was the rough gloved hand that held hers. Hands that belonged to a man who she barely knew and almost shared a death with.

"Where are you taking me?"

"I know it's difficult for you to hold your silence for more than 5 seconds, but do try."

If she could see him, he would have been at the receiving end of a well-aimed right hook. "I did say that I have fear of the dark, did I not?" she lashed out verbally instead. It wasn't her fault if she was easily agitated. Less than 24 hours ago she couldn't even stay in a room where she couldn't see her hands. And now she was walking in total darkness, through wreckages of things she didn't even want to know about.

"I've always been fond of the quiet ones..." he replied in an annoyed tone.

"Why, so you could hear yourself more often?" She bit her tongue when they suddenly stopped. She could feel the rush of wind in the movement as he turned toward her. His eyes were softly glowing in the dark again, a dark green pool amidst the total black around them.

"I could just leave you here. You know this. Why do you continue to test my patience?"

Tifa looked away from his eerie eyes. She would have pulled her hands away if she could but he held her tightly, wanting an answer to his query.

This wasn't going to be easy. She sighed and bit the bullet. "I'm scared." There, simple, plain truth.

Suddenly she felt herself enveloped by warmth. His hands held her tightly against him. "Don't be scared anymore. I'm here."

She chuckled despite her tears. "You say that as if it makes everything alright." She sighed but it came out as a sob and tried to struggle against his arms. "We… we should be dead."

She could almost see the grin that adorned his face. "But we're not. And that's a cause for celebration. Now come on, we're almost there." He pulled her to walk closer to him this time and they moved with purpose.

Slowly, the shadows shortened and she could see a faint light at turn further down. He instructed her through the debris until they came upon a precipice that overlooked an entire city, bright with lights against the surrounding darkness. Tifa gasped at the sight, unable to move or do anything. Where were they? From the walk, they couldn't be far from Midgar but how could a whole settlement be here?

He turned back to look at her, and despite the dark stains in his cheek and hair, made visible now in the faint light, his smile was bright.

"Welcome to Deepground."

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Thank you to _xxDarkAssassinxx_ and _1Deidaras0Gal1_ for their reviews, as well as to those who have place this story on their favorites and alerts. It is much, much appreciated and helps inspire me to continue. :)


	3. Chapter 3

_3/30-Guardian Angel_

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"I don't even know your name." Tifa said as she turned to fully face him, the mysterious stranger that has turned her life upside down. His profile was outlined by the glow of the city lights beneath them.

He turned to look at her and she is caught off guard by the etherealness of his appearance. There was grime on his face, but the city lights from below brought out the powder blue hues and the sea green ring of mako around his iris. His red, matted hair had auburn streaks that framed his handsome face.

"I am your Guardian Angel," he said with a cocky smirk on one side of his face.

She blinked and looked away, not being able to look at him for very long. "Don't even joke at a time like this! You look nothing like an angel."

"Wings?" he said as he raised one eyebrow and flapped his black wing for good measure.

"Angels have a _pair_ of white wings. You only have one." _And it's black_, she added in her mind.

"It's more than enough for you. I honestly doubt you can handle two…" he leered suggestively.

"Ugh." She rolls her eyes and tried again. "Look, it's very simple. My name is… _M-my _name …" she stopped.

Of course she still knew who she was, but… did she really want to be that mountain girl from Nibelheim, bar tender and terrorist, nyctohylophobic, victim to an unrequited love?

No. No she did _not._ But if she doesn't want to be Tifa anymore, who will she be?

He smiled as he watched the struggle in her eyes. He let the silence roll on, then turned his back to her as he took a deep breath.

When he turned to face her again, his smile was bright and unapologetic. "If you've forgotten your name, I'll give you a new one."

She was about to protest but he had impulsively closed the distance between them and captured her lips with his. When he parted from her, the shocked expression on her face made him smile even wider.

"I am Genesis, and you… You can be my _Heart_."

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Again, thank you to _Carrie88_ and _Alfonso Sinclair_ for submitting their reviews. I'll try to update once a week from now on.

For other stories of Tifa, check out **The Men in Her Life**. A collection of oneshots that pairs Tifa with different people in the FF (and beyond) universe.

Leave a review for good karma. :)


	4. Chapter 4

4 /30-Stolen Heart

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She followed him through precisely laid out pathways of the underground facility. He seemed to know where he was heading, so she kept close and was content for the most part to look at the sights around them.

Suddenly, all air left her lungs. She was grabbed from behind and something that resembled a hand clamped into her mouth. A _'sshh'_ sound came near her ears and she was slowly dragged backwards into a dark alleyway.

Pressed close to the other person, Tifa suddenly bent her knees into a crouch and then jabbed her elbows to the side of her attacker, using the momentum to turn and face her assailant.

What she saw made her skin crawl.

He barely looked human. Milky eyes looked wildly at her set on pale, rotting flesh. He wore the tatters of a soldier uniform and the exposed flesh on his arms moved like something wormed through under his skin. He snarled and was about to lunge at her when she delivered a devastating high kick to his neck and heard bone crack. She took deep lungfuls of air to stabilize the furious beating of her heart. The _thing_, whatever it is, had fallen to the ground and showed no signs of moving.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, felt her nerves settle down. Then she turned to see Genesis who was looking over her shoulder at the quasi-human.

"Holy mother of... how long have you been standing there?" she breathed anxiously as her heart rate jacked up once again.

"Awhile." Came his smooth reply.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Then she frowned. "You didn't even try to help me!"

"What would I have said? You seemed to have the situation under control and besides," he paused as he finally dragged his eyes away from the body back to her, "…I don't even know your name."

She pursed her lips and turned to him. "You said you'd call me Hart."

"What was that?"

"Call me Hart." She said as she side stepped him and came back out to the pathway they were traversing.

Within two strides, he had overtaken her walk and shot her a devious smile. "As you say, my _Heart_, do take care not to get stolen again."

The blush that rose in her cheek was, she was sure, from fury. Definitely not because her heart was thumping wildly again, as if it wanted to get out of her ribcage and jump to the man who now held her hand securely in his.

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Thank you to _Alfonso Yamamoto, shynsei, Carrie88, and Ski October_ and and for their reviews! I love reading them, and they definitely make my day. :) And _Shynsei_, as prompted, I'll be working on TifaxReno fic. Watch out for that!

(Don't you just love redheads? heheh.)


	5. Chapter 5

_5/30-I feel safe with you by my side_

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_Of course_, he was a SOLDIER. It really shouldn't come as a surprise, there were SOLDIERs at every major turnpike in her life; Sephiroth, Zack, (a confused) Cloud and now him.

And _of course_, he would bring her to a Shin-Ra facility-turned-underground-city. A top secret one aptly called "Sector 0" _because it_ _didn't exist_. Oh, if only AVALANCHE could see this place.

She was indeed expecting opposition when they walked openly on the narrow, steel vaulted streets, but the level at which the barely human creatures as well as mutations of what could have once been animals, that came at them was overkill. It seemed like they wanted to throw their lives away, which she would have gladly obliged, she was itching for a fight!

But then her self-professed Guardian Angel materialized a red rapier from thin air and cut through the ranks of the suicidal like knife through butter. He had a level of mastery with his weapon that she rarely witnessed before save for Sephiroth and his katana, and Cloud and his buster sword.

It was annoying.

The only thing that made it past him were severed body parts. Amidst their wails and death rattles, she gripped her gloves and called out to him "I can fight too!" but he held out his arm back to her to stop her when another wave of uniformed soldiers, more human this time, closed in. He took care of them with a well-placed fire spell that shook the walls.

Tifa huffed behind him and crossed her arms; she wanted to charge but she couldn't, Genesis was in the way and it was a narrow corridor. All she could do was glare at his back. She was practically useless at long range combat and what attack materia she had would end up harming them as well in the tight enclosures.

After a short while, the slaughter finally ceased. Genesis stood proud, the only one left standing among the carcasses. He didn't even break sweat. He walked towards the end of the corridor and disappeared into a turn, going after the stragglers that remained. When he was satisfied that there was no longer any immediate danger, he came back to her.

"Alright now, say it." He said as he released the rapier and it vanished before her eyes.

Her eyes narrowed at him. "What? I didn't need you to step in—"

He gave her a look which stopped her babbling. "Go ahead, just say it."

She frowned then looked seriously into his eyes. "…Thanks… for _nothing_."

"That's not it."

She sighed in exasperation. "Alright. I shouldn't have wandered off. This is a crazy place, I don't know anything about it, and I should have stayed by your side."

"Close, but still not it."

"What the _hell_ do you want me to say?'

"Safe_._ I feel safe with you by my side."

She threw her arms up the air, exasperated. "Hey lunatic, if you're looking for a damsel in disgrace, why don't you burrow up to the surface and find another girl?"

Suddenly he closed the distance between them until their lips were only a few inches apart. Up close and under the glow of a nearby light she could see the black ichor that sprayed from the creatures he killed, thick upon his leather armor and some exposed part of his neck. It was sizzling and white smoke wafted up from it though he didn't seem to mind. The intensity of his stare drew her eyes back to his. "I want _you_. And it wouldn't kill you to stand back and let me do the work."

Something flickered in her eyes as he stepped back and wiped his gloves against the ichor. She noticed his skin underneath now an angry red, like it had been burned. She watched all this and deflated.

He was trying to protect her from the creature's acidic fluid and she reacted like a little girl whose toy was taken away during playtime. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I just don't like feeling useless."

He was silent for a while. "I'll take care of you, my Heart." Then he smiled. "And I'll be sure to find some use for you. Now come here."

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Phew! This chapter was slightly longer than my previous ones. Thanks again _xxDarkAssassinxx_, shynsei, Carrie88 (I thought silver haired men did it for you? XD), and Alfonso Yamamoto! Feel free to prompt me on what you want to see. I need some materials to work on. :D


	6. Chapter 6

_6/30-Telling you the truth_

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"Don't go any further." The voice was small and unexpected; it sounded like it belonged to a little girl.

Tifa looked at Genesis first then their eyes slowly roamed the vicinity. They've come to a small plaza where the corridors intersected. Eerie green light came up from a circular structure like a pond in the middle and it bounced off the walls, bathing everything in soft green light.

Tifa was breathing very slowly and strained her ears to discern where the voice came from. She blinked then suddenly she couldn't move, couldn't_ breathe_, her muscles slack and unresponsive. Sudden panic seized her but her body refused to follow her mental commands. It was like her body was put in suspension though she couldn't tell how or why.

"We know of you Genesis." The voice came again. "If you value her life, you will tell us how you came to know of Deepground and what your intentions are."

At her words Genesis turned to Tifa and caught her just as her balance failed. "Heart! My _Heart_!" She could hear everything he practically shouted in her ears but could not respond. She stared ahead, eyes unfocused and felt his hands tighten on her.

"Tell us. Or she will die within the minute."

His expression turned hard as he eased her gently to the ground. A dark nimbus of energy brewed around his aura, faint and charged. He laid his ungloved hand on her face, his palm above her lips then he was suddenly gone. Tifa heard a startled cry somewhere to her left followed by sounds of metal clashing wildly against each other. She could only stare forward as a body fell down to the floor near her. She so badly wanted to turn her eyes but she still could not move. Something was tightening inside her and she started to convulse, her mouth opened but no air could come in or out.

Genesis landed on the ground and appeared in her line of sight. A scowl was etched deeply on his features as he suddenly plunged his rapier into the body on the ground and used the leverage as his blade met bone to lift the body up. Tifa would have cried if she could because she could now clearly see, skewered upon Genesis' blade a heavily bandaged body of a man that had half of his bat-like skeletal wings torn from him.

"Undo what you did," she heard Genesis say. She has never seen him as menacing as she had today. "I will keep cutting something off until you do. And _if_ she dies," he twisted his grip on his rapier and she heard a muffled groan and a bone crack. "I will kill all of you, starting with your beloved brother Weiss."

The silence that stretched on between the two men seemed to go on forever. Black spots started to appear in her vision, and she knew she was fading. She fought off the spreading numbness inside her she can't die _just yet_. She had things she wanted to say to him; the truth about who she was, what she's done with her short and troubled life, what could have happened between them... and her last wish to be buried under her real name, not some ridiculous alias he made up!

But it was too late. There was no air, no blood to sustain her body. Her systems were shutting down. Just like that, she was in the darkness again even if her eyes were wide open.

Alone, cold and empty, she choked out a sob and drew one last shuddering breath, thinking it would be her last.

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_Oh god, I had so many grammatical and spelling errors on my last post. Sorry! I think I was drunk (kinda) when I posted that. Anyway, I've edited that. This one should be better. I'm trying to keep up with my once a week update schedule but it seems I have to take time with the more elaborate scenes like this. And has been a b*tch these past few days, so this is super late._

_Anyway, thank you for the reviews! Carrie88 (who likes my fire, hahaha, terrible pun, sorry), xxDarkAssassinxx, shynsei (Genesis here hot enough for you?), compa16 and xPhiieebeex. I hope to continue giving you fixes of more Genesis-Tifa hotness. :D_


	7. Chapter 7

_6/30—First sunlight after the darkness_

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She was breathing. _She_ was _breathing_.

She could feel the rich texture of air as it slid gently through her nose, down to inner, deeper parts of her that she will never see. Each breath eased her onto full consciousness. She dared to open her eyes to see... nothing. A sigh escaped her lips. Wasn't this situation all too familiar?

Perhaps this time, she was actually dead. One could hope.

She closed her eyes again and felt for her heartbeat. _Yep, still there._ A wry smile appeared on her lips. She knew what to look for next; she lifted one hand and placed it on her abdomen. _There you are. _On her abdomen was a very warm arm that held her under the blanket. She rubbed the unfamiliar texture against her fingers then turned to where his head must be.

"You're awake." He whispered and his hot breath sent tingles on the exposed skin of her neck. He sounded really close, which should be no surprise for her. Since she met him he was never too far away. "How long was I out?" She was surprised with how steady her voice sounded.

Her nose was tickled by his hair as he shifted until she could feel the complete length of his body against hers. "I don't know. Doesn't matter, you needed rest." One arm, she finally noticed, had been under her neck. He shifted to a more comfortable position, brought his nose closer to her and breathed in.

It surprised her just how much she enjoyed just being held. She sighed. She felt him press his lips on the exposed skin of her collarbone and shuddered. When was the last time someone embraced her like this?

Never.

A stray thought directed her to one special night under the Highwind, before AVALANCHE went off to fight a battle they were not sure they would win. Cloud had let her lean against him and held her as a lover would. It was an intimate gesture from the normally stoic swordsman, but it did not have the intimacy with which Genesis held her now.

It didn't even come close.

A sob escaped her lips.

"_Sshhh._.. You're ok now. I won't let anyone hurt you." She felt him press her more firmly against her. His nose nuzzled against her skin.

She sighed and tried to calm her nerves. "You know, I... I... a-almost died again."

"It's becoming a habit for you isn't it?" he said as he turned his head and kissed the crown of her head.

Her answering laugh was lost in a hiccup. "O-one day it will just happen. It won't matter."

Suddenly she was enveloped in a tight embrace. She could feel desperation, desire and something else from the way he held her... something she couldn't quite place. "Goddess..." he murmured against her hair. "When I thought you were dying, I thought to myself, I can't lose her yet. I haven't even seen her under sunlight..."

She snorted but kept her head tucked under his. "Are your eyes that bad? You need the sun to see how I look like?"

He laughed and the vibrations felt nice against her body. "Cheeky girl. Listen, this is important to me." His tone changed and he held her closer. "I know that we can't go up to the surface. The passageways are blocked and there may not be anything left up there to come back to... but one day, we will."

She could only listen as him carefully, at the promise behind his words. "And when that happens, I want to be there. I want to share that first sunlight after all this darkness with you."

The smile that she came upon her features was small, but in the darkness and in his eyes, it shone as brightly as the sun.

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_Updating again! I'm glad ff net's problems are fixed now because I waited quite a long time to post that last chapter up! _

_Thank you as usual, to shynsei (hey, my writings are safe for work... so far. can't promise it won't change though, heheh), compa16 and xxDarkAssassinxx (thank you for reviewing every chapter! your words of encouragement go a long way :D), xPhiieebeex and Carrie88 (I bend to your will of updating quickly). Till next time dears! :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_8/10—You were never mine to begin with._

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"Where do we go from here?" Tifa asked as she turned to Genesis. They stood on a ledge of a tall building which overlooked the city. They were near the center, where there was a massive pillar of tower with tiny pinpricks of light that showed through the windows around it.

"...I don't really know."

She closes her eyes with a frown. "I thought you knew this place." She tried to keep her voice even. When he did not immediately answer, she turned to see a guarded look in his eyes.

He turned his back to her. "They brought me here." He whispered.

Tifa's eyes widened. 'They'? "What do you—"

"Do you really want to know?" he cut her off. Something in his tone had changed.

"Of course I do!" She grabbed his arm and made him turn to face her. She was surprised at the barely suppressed anger that he saw there.

"Are you so eager to know how much of a monster I am?" Before he could say something more, he shook his head and turned to walk away from her once more.

A wave of irritation made her speak before she could censor herself. "You think you're a monster just because you're different?"

Genesis turned back sharply to her. "You think it's that simple? Would you consider yourself human if it were_ you_ who was subjected to the cruelties I had to endure, the things I were made to do, often against my will?"

Something snapped inside her. When she spoke there was something dangerous in her tone. "You're right. I don't know the things that were done to you... But you act as if you're the only one who's suffered!" She unzipped the leather coat he gave her earlier and tugged her shirt up to show the angry red scar that ran diagonally between her breasts. She looked up at him with angry tears in her eyes. "I know a man who thought the same thing and he took it out on the others around him, so that the world may share in his pain."

Genesis looked at her scar with shock and anger in his eyes**.** He turned to look at her. "Who did this?"

She blinked back her tears and shook her head as she pulled down her shirt. What was she doing? Why did she expose herself to him? "It doesn't matter." She muttered quickly. Within two strides he was in front of her, his fingers pressed against the beginning of the scar above her left breast. "_Who_ did this to _you_?" He asked again, determined to get an answer.

She could see the simmering anger in his eyes. Anger directed at her. Her own flared within her once more and she slapped his hand away. "I said it didn't matter. So just _drop_ it!"

He looked as if he was about to say more, instead he raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose and suddenly his black wing spread out behind him.

Alarmed, Tifa grabbed his arm. "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

He stared angrily ahead and refused to meet her eyes. "To look for something to kill."

Tifa released his arm in disgust. "Fine! Fly off! And bring me back something to eat!"

In another heartbeat, wings rustled and suddenly he was gone. He didn't even look at her. Tifa stared at the black feathers falling down the sky in his wake. Something tasted sour in her mouth. She lowly sank to her feet and stared out to the city below.

He might never come back, she realized. She knew how unpredictable the SOLDIERs were. Nothing really bound him to her, she wasn't really his to be responsible for. Tears ran down her cheeks once again, this time it had the familiar salty tang of abandonment.

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_A little more drama is in order, methinks. As always, my gratitude goes out to shynsei, xPhiieebeex, Carrie88 (I love Sacrifice! Update that soon :D), and DarkAssassin . Stay with me, 22 more chapters to go! :D_


	9. Chapter 9

09/30—When all hope is lost

Tifa lingered for a while on the ledge where he left her, cursing his temper and her fate. Pushed by her biological need to for nourishment, she pushed off the ledge and landed on the street below. The fall cleared her mind and she began planning ways to get through her predicament.

She has to look out for herself. She didn't need him. She could deal with whatever's ahead on her own.

She thought about how Genesis had been leading them towards the center, so she might as well continue on. The street she was in looked like it was once was a commercial center, with stalls and shops, much like the markets of Midgar. But what food was on display was unsafe for consumption. It looked like they've been untouched for years. Then her eyes settled on something that made her smile. An abandoned motorcycle. She smiled and set to work, thanking the gods that she had pestered Cloud to teach her how to ride one during their "date" at the Gold Saucer. She smirked to herself. At least something came out of that, after all.

Then she found a clothing store where she grabbed a more heat-conducive outfit. The short sleeve and miniskirt get up was a thing of the past; she shed those and picked a black long sleeved jacket that with a zipper in the middle and black pants that did not strain when she performed a high kick. Then she completed the simple ensemble with a belt with large slots where she inserted her materia. She found a mirror, braided her hair and then got back on her motorcycle.

Then she revved up the machine and sped down the streets until she arrived at her destination. She was struck by how much it looked like the Shin-Ra tower in Midgar above. It was deserted, but it looked clean. She steeled herself and got off the motorbike and walked in. Her first priority was to find a water source in the employees section of this place, for surely they had to feed their staff to keep them alive. Then she'll forage for actual food. The dried up hard biscuit that Genesis had been feeding her was something she would never eat again, if she could help it.

As soon as the sliding door opened, Tifa braced herself. She walked in stiffly and she looked around the perimeter with her eyes alert. Then her eyes settled upon a very peculiar sight.

There was a little girl in the middle of the room. How she had missed her in her initial sweep of the lobby from the outside, she will never know. But there she was, with her short orange hair and her strangely patterned white and blue track suit.

Tifa looked around but saw no one else. The girl had not moved, only looked at her steadily. "Who are you?"

The little girl held out her palms in front of her and answered, never taking her eyes off her. "My name is Shelke."

Her voice was familiar. Her eyes widened. "You were the one who attacked us! You—"

"Please calm down." Her strangely impassive face has not changed. "I am here to tell you that you are not safe here."

"What are you talking about? Are you here to—" Suddenly her eyes rolled back and she fell limp to the floor.

A mild frown was on Shelke's face when she turned to the man with black hair covered with bandages. "Was that necessary, Nero? She could have been talked to."

"We are wasting time. The Restrictors know we're here." He said as he kneeled down in front of her and gently tugged her hair away from her face.

"If she is hurt, Genesis will..."

"I know." Nero said as his brow furrowed and the wings behind his back twinge in remembrance. He hooked one arm behind her knees and the other on her back. "Let's go."

As if on cue, the other doors inside the tower suddenly burst open and lumbering, humanoid monsters came at them. Shelke ran towards Nero and embraced his waist as he brought out his wings and flew through the glass. They quickly gained altitude and disappeared into the darkness of what once was the sky above.


	10. Chapter 10

_10/30-I will never hurt you._

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Something stung in her skin. Her eyes blinked awake as her cheek throbbed. There was a red blur to her left and she blinked her eyes to force it to focus. "G-Genesis?" Why did he hit her?

Her vision cleared and she saw that the red blur was a woman. She looked at her crossly; one perfectly done eyebrow arched in annoyance. "I don't have all day to wait on you. Follow me or I'll slap you again."

Tifa frowned, did a quick look around and realized that she was yet in another place she did not recognize. That little girl and whoever she was working with must've kidnapped her.

"Did you hear me?" The redhead said as she raised her palm again. But before she could bring her hand down, Tifa turned to her side and kneed the woman's ankle, sending her down. Without giving her a quarter, Tifa grabbed the woman's wrist and tugged to turn her until she had the woman pinned down with her body.

"Who are you and where am I?" Tifa hissed as she twisted the wrist that she held, causing the other woman to grimace in pain. The woman tossed her perfectly coiffed hair and snarled, muttering expletives that would have made Cid proud. She twisted the wrist that she held again, eliciting further cries of pain.

"Well done." A voice said and she turned to see a dark haired man in black walk in from a door in the corner of the room. Tifa squinted from where she held the other woman. There was something familiar about him... "Vincent?" she blinked as she waited to get a good look on his face.

He settled near the light and the frown became visible in his bandaged face. "Who?"

"Don't just stand there! Get this _bitch_ off of me!" The woman called out from beneath as she struggled. Tifa eyed the man warily, using her other arm to silently feel for her belt and the materias slotted within.

"I quite like where you are, Rosso." He said as he ignored her and turned his red tinted eyes back to Tifa.

"Why you—" The woman called Rosso glared. Tifa tightened her hold and, in one fluid movement, placed her foot at the back of head to push her firmly down. Further protests were muffled by her red hair.

Nero turned one visible red eye down the woman then flicked his wrist, and suddenly she stopped struggling. She looked down to see a hair thin needle stuck into the vein of Rosso's arm. She looked back at him with shock in her eyes. "Did you just—"

"She'll come around in an hour or so. Now come with me."

She frowned and stood up from the limp body of the woman. "I am not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on!" she exclaimed.

Nero turned back to her with an unreadable look on his bandaged face. "You can either come with me willingly or I can drag you there."

Tifa opened her mouth to protest but Nero had already moved toward through the door and she followed with a huff. She was determined to get to the bottom of this. There was no way that she would allow herself to be... She stopped in her tracks. Did she just smell chicken? Her nose led the way and she turned to a large room with a table in the middle.

And there was food.

She stared, unable to believe what she's seeing. "Oh god, I knew it. I'm dead."

"I assure you, you're _not_." She jumped at the sound of another voice in the room. She looked around to see Nero standing next to a large man who wore clothes that were as white as his hair. "My name is Weiss. And on behalf of the Tsviets, I welcome you among our midst."

Her eyes darted from the man back to the food. Her stomach grumbled silently inside her. She cleared her throat and forced herself to look away from the spread. "Why am I here?"

"Because you need our protection. Miss Heart, I don't think you realize—"

She frowned, irritated at the use of the name. They must've been trailing them to have gotten wind of that term of endearment. "How can I accept protection from a group that tried to harm me before?" She cut in.

Weiss took her interruption graciously. "A mistake. We have since altered our strategy to approach you." He eyed her patiently.

She chose her words carefully. "What do you want from me?"

Weiss and Nero were silent for a while then when Nero spoke it was quiet and child like voice. "Did you come from the surface?'

She nodded warily.

Weiss turned to his brother and nodded. "We wanted to know if... it's still possible to go up."

"Is that all that what you want? Information?" Tifa looked from Nero to Weiss, both intimidating creatures on their own rights, and suddenly it all made sense to her. From Nero's wings and bandaged body to Weiss' shock white hair... They were not normal people. Considering where they are, these people could only be more of Shin-Ra's biological experiments.

Weiss smiled. And Tifa could almost believe that they were human, still. "And we want Genesis' cooperation."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Cooperation for what? If you think you can manipulate him by using me, that's not going to work. I am no one to him."

"He almost killed my brother for touching you, and he is currently ripping the city apart in search of you. You cannot be the "nothing" you believe."

She shook her head, feeling light headed all of the sudden. "He barely even knows me." She raised her hand to massage her temples. What was the idiot trying to prove now, after flying off and leaving her to starve? Tifa clenched her fist and turned to them. She looked down at the food set in the table. There was nothing for it now. If she wanted to eat, she might as well play ball with them. But she had to set some ground rules.

"I will not answer any more questions until you answer mine. Now, what do you need his cooperation for?"

Weiss waved a hand dismissively. "Nothing sinister as you might believe. We want him to acknowledge us, that's all."

She frowned. "Why would you want him to 'acknowledge' you? What good would that do?"

Weiss smiled, a strange sort of smile that was tinged with sadness. Almost. "Perhaps an exchange of information is in order." Weiss gestured to the empty seats at the table and her feet took her there in a heartbeat. Before he spoke his next words, Tifa had already shoved a small, round pastry-like dish in her mouth. "You can ask us whatever you like, and we will explain as we are able."

Tifa swallowed and took a drink from a nearby glass of water. She sighed. That felt divine. Then she looked at Weiss who had also taken a seat in front of her and had an amused smile in his face. "I refuse to be used as bait." She said as she reached out for a slice of the chicken. "I will answer all the questions you may have about the surface as well, however, do not ask me about my past, and do not ask me about Genesis either because up until a few days ago, I didn't even know him."

Weiss nodded. "Very well. I accept those terms. You are our guest, not our prisoner. Let us partake of this meal then, to seal the deal." He gestured at his brother to come take a seat beside them and he did. Suddenly the little girl who called herself Shelke and one other large muscled man came into sight and they all took their respective seats on the table. Weiss looked around. "Where is Rosso?"

"I put her to sleep. She was being rude to our guest." Nero said as he used his talon-like fingers to skewer a meat from the plate. She watched the large guy with blue hair dig into some... fruit? She had never seen the likes of it before but it smelled kind of sweet. Shelke was chewing quietly from her plate. Tifa watched them all and it was almost like watching a family eat.

She caught Nero's eye at one point and breathed out the question that was simmering in her mind. "How do I know this is not a trap?"

Weiss looked at everyone else first before he turned back to her. "We promise never to hurt you. We would never willingly harm our Father, or those whom he cherishes."

Tifa choked on the food she suddenly swallowed while everyone resumed their meal in silence.

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_**A / N**: I'm super sorry for the lateness of this chapter. Major, major life changes. Including a change in country of residence has prevented me from updating. I hope to resume normal updating sched in the near future, since things are starting to quiet down around here._

_Stick around, and thank you so much for leaving reviews. They are, much, much appreciated._


	11. Chapter 11

_11/30—Find me in the Dark_

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Tifa was fully enveloped by the cloak of darkness.

As proof of her stature as guest, she was given comfortable sleeping quarters and an access card to the Tsviets compound as well as the freedom to wander. She found no locked doors with her access card. After memorizing the layout of their compound, she found the nearest exit point and left. She needed the outdoors, she reasoned to herself, there's nothing like the endless span of horizon and vastness of space to clear your mind and put things in perspective.

No one questioned her when she declared her intent to leave and be left alone; so she started walking in a random direction and hasn't stopped. Until now. She must have walked for hours. But time didn't mean anything here and the thoughts that plagued her pushed her on until she can no longer tell where her body was and where the darkness started. She was deep in blackness so complete, it seemed to have a life of its own. The only thing that told her that it wasn't a dream was the persistent hum of wind as it blew through the crevices of the canyons around her.

She was waiting to fall into a pit, truth be told. She wanted to walk right into a ravine so deep she would fall to her death. Only then would the voices in her mind be silent. She didn't want to die, not after having escaped death so many times, but she feared that it was the only rational solution to the dilemma before her.

And that was: what was she supposed to do now?

Tears pooled in her eyes as she realized that she was hopelessly lost and there was no way to find her way back to the surface, or even where she began. She sank down to her feet and felt the protest of her muscles that had been aching all along. She survived the destruction of her hometown, the destruction of the surface world, and lived through the death of everyone she cared for.

But she did not survive it whole.

The past few weeks she's been living with raw nerves, acting quite unlike herself and postponed thinking about certain things. But she could no longer ignore that her world had drastically changed. This dark world that she found herself in may be the last enclave of humanity left. And with the state of everyone around her, she may be the last genetically unaltered being. It may just be a matter of time before they all wink out of existence.

And then there was Genesis. And his 'children', the Tsviets.

He had not fathered them biologically, they were careful to explain this, but they carried his cells and reacted to him as the clones reacted to Sephiroth. He was the lynchpin that held this whole place together. Deepground was built to continue the research that used his cells. Everything started with him. He was the prototype for SOLDIER, and Sephiroth was the successful version of what that protophye was initially made to be. Neither was able to lead normal lives and both had the capacity to cause destruction to the world.

He could destroy everything, what little else is left.

_...or he could rebuild and make the world whole again_.

Tifa blinked back her tears at the stray thought that entered her mind. She slowly became aware of the unnatural silence around her. Something had changed. The wind was gone and even as she righted herself up into a sitting position, she heard nothing from the friction of her boots with the hard earth.

She stood up slowly and blinked at the unyielding darkness. Something was about to happen. Goosebumps appeared on her skin.

"Tifa."

She turned around at the sound of her name and saw a small blond haired boy she knew too well. She blinked away her tears and stared hard at the apparition. The last time she had seen him was when he called her out into the well in the middle of the town to say goodbye.

No, that wasn't true. The last time she saw him was in the lifestream. When the adult Cloud lost himself and she followed. Here he was again, just exactly as she remembered and more.

On instinct, she looked up at the sky and saw the endless sea of stars of the Nibel sky. "Of course." She whispered. She looked down at the child again. "I've died then. Am I in the lifestream?" The boy, bright against the darkness surrounding them smiled and shook his head. "You're not dead, Tifa."

She gave a strangled snort, almost like a choked sob as she raised her hand on her hair and shook it. "Well, what are you doing here then?"

The young Cloud walked toward her and stared up at her with baby blue eyes as clear as the sky, without the taint of mako. "The lifestream has a will, Tifa. It has, and always will, strive towards life."

Tifa looked deep into his eyes and felt tears run down her cheeks. He was telling her to move on, essentially. She shook her head. "I'm tired."

He smiled. "I know you are. But you must strive towards _life_ Tifa. Towards the _light_." He lifted one bony finger and pointed somewhere in the darkness.

Tifa followed with her eyes and gasped as the darkness slowly shifted like a black curtain parting to show the night sky. There was a slightly red tinged horizon in the distance. It was faint and could almost be mistaken as a trick of the light but it was there. Then she caught a whiff of smoke. Her eyes widened at the realization of what it could mean.

"Deepground is burning." She righted herself and took a tentative step in the direction but she hesitated. Flashes of the Nibelheim fire came back to her and she turned back to Cloud with conflicted eyes.

But instead of Cloud, Aerith stood there with a bright smile on her face.

Tifa faltered in her movements. "A-Aerith... I..."

Aerith came to her and hugged her in a touch that felt as light as a feather. "Be strong, Tifa." Tifa held on to her tighter and sobbed. "I can't do this Aerith. I can't do it anymore."

"I'm sorry Tifa, but you're not done yet. You're needed."

"W-Will I ever be able to go back to the surface?"

"The planet is healing. One day, soon, you will be able to. But don't worry about anything anymore. Just face what's in front of you fully. Everything else will resolve itself." Aerith pulled back and pressed something onto her hand. It was something hard, round and smooth. Tifa looked down to see a red materia.

"She was looking for you. You got parted somewhere along the way and she's been restless since. She will help you reach him safely."

Tifa smiled as she felt the familiar chill of the summon materia. "Thank you," she whispered as she closed her eyes and concentrated, calling forth the magic within.

Tiny specks of white light began to fall from the ground, illuminating the path forward. She opened her eyes to witness the descent of a beautiful woman with blue skin, silver hair and ice blue gaze. A warm smile spread across Tifa's features as she gazed upon the figure she knew too well.

And for the first time since the last few thousand of times Tifa had used her, Shiva met her eyes and smiled.

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**A / N :** Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm glad that people are still following this story despite the (ir)regular updates. Special thanks goes out to shynsei, Carrie88, nu shi Yue, Ais, Numinous-Alqua and all of you others who have added my story to your alert list.

Don't worry, Genesis is coming soon. :D


	12. Chapter 12

_12/30—Release of the Evils_

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Deepground was up in flames. From where she stood she could see the fires that consumed the edges of the city and ate its way towards the center.

Tifa looked up to Shiva who floated above her, icy glare focused on the flames. With a smile, the summon flew to the nearest building, icicle and snowflake trailing in her wake. Tifa turned to the cliff face before her. She could see no gradual incline, so she steadied herself then jumped to the nearest ledge, made visible by the light of the flames. From there, she chose carefully placed footholds and descended to the ground level.

The second her feet touched the ground, there was an explosion. It was followed by the sound of metal bending as a building collapsed in on itself and there was a chorus of unghastly howls from inside. Tifa shrugged off the small bits of dust and rubble that fell on her and continued on her path, evading the burning debris of metal, chunks of cement and jumping over the several other writhing things that she dare not look at for too long. She had to find Genesis soon. She had to—

There was another explosion and this time, it sent her careening back and right into something solid behind her. Her head spun and colourful spots took the place of her vision. Her ears were ringing and she felt the warm trickle of blood trail down one side of her face. She vainly struggled to her feet, aware that her impact knocked more than the breath out of her. Her eyes focused on the blurry landscape in front; her gaze drawn to the way figures seemed to dance in front of her eyes. She took a deep breath and grit her teeth, determined to get to her feet. She blinked away the dizziness and concentrated with all her might. The blurry figures took form and soon she saw the very person that she was looking for. She couldn't see him properly, he was quite a distance away, but she knew that it was him. His red hair and leathers were unmistakable, and so was the solid red of his rapier as it sung a song she couldn't hear, engaged with an enemy that was black and green in her eyes.

Her heart leapt in her chest as she started forward, but he was suddenly on his knees and she could do nothing but watch as he took the brunt of another explosion that made the very ground tremor.

"No..." She gasped. She saw him double over in pain and cling to his rapier for support. Tifa clenched her fist and in the milliseconds that followed, her eyes sharpened and focused on the man in black and green. She could see that his head had a black helmet and a black armor that glowed green on its seams. Her eyes settled on his weapons, double gunblades that trickled with blood—Genesis' blood, she realized and her anger flared. Her fingers trembled then rested on her belt, at the cool reassurance of materia. She took a split second to steady herself, then her body glowed different coloured hues. She was off in a blur of movement. She covered the distance between them at an inhuman speed and delivered a devastating high kick to his neck which sent him crashing towards a pillar, shattering it with impact. It should have been fatal for normal humans, but Tifa knew that the enemy was far from being one. Not if he could bring Genesis to his knees.

Before he could fully even see her, she was off again, summoning an ice spell that glued his deadly gunblades to the floor. She had to disarm him to level the playing field between them. She knew that they would eventually come to blows; she twisted her wrist in preparation and felt the reassuring weight of her premium heart. No sooner had she done so, the enemy was on his feet. He tried to pry his gunblade where it was held tight to the floor, to no avail. He let out a snarl and stood to fully faced her, his face hidden under the now slightly askew helmet he still wore.

She could almost feel the anger that rolled off him in waves. That was good. He could make mistakes if he let fury get the better of him. She hadn't even fully assessed his strengths or weaknesses, but if she kept calm, and he was angry, then she could do what she needed to do to win this. She could win this! She had to. Genesis' and her life depended on it.

He started to walk towards her. Slowly, a red fireball formed in his hands. Tifa cast reflect just a split second before the summoned fire headed towards her and, thankfully, reflected, returning to the caster. The explosion that followed caused a crater to appear in the earth and Tifa had to shield her face, briefly wondering why she was not thrown back from the force of it. When she opened her eyes, she saw Shiva's blue form before her, parting the flames and smoke like a rock parts water.

The summon was not done. Shiva put her lips to her palm and opened her palms, blowing a cold frosty wind towards the center of the fire, where the enemy crouched, his head and arm bent forward, resting on one knee. Ice crystallized on his form and his form started to freeze even as he tried to move his fingers until he was as still as a statue, black covered in blue. Tifa sighed in relief as she looked at the summon. Shiva's harsh answering glare told her that this was just temporary. Things were not over yet.

She nodded and looked for something that would help finish the job. She turned to see Genesis leaning against a pillar, his head bowed, with one knee propping up an arm that loosely held his rapier. She ran towards him and knelt, careful to make sure she does not accidentally bump him. Up close she could see the full extent of his injuries. There were burn marks all over his body along with numerous gashes and cuts, some of them still openly bleeding. She gently put her hand under his jaw and cast the strongest cure spell that she knew. He lifted his face up in acknowledgment, but the spell did very little for his wounds. His auburn hair was singed in several places and his face was covered in soot and god knows what else. But his eyes were still that now familiar hint of blue, with a ring of mako green around it. She felt a rush of joy when they focused on hers and the green subsided. "Hey," she said, embarrassed at the way her voice broke, reflecting her inner turmoil. "Can't believe you're letting me have all the fun here," she tried to make light of the situation and smiled slightly. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

He smiled, it was more visible in his eyes than from any movement of his lips, "You... came late." he rasped. "I tired him out... for you," he tried to get up but he fell back again with a grimace. He shot an annoyed look at her. "Looked for you... everywhere."

Tears ran down her face freely. "I know. Here I am. You found me."

"No..." he said with a little shake of his head. "_You_ found _me_." He said meaningfully. "Now go and... finish the bastard. Release him from his misery." He lifted the hilt of his rapier and offered it to her.

Tifa nodded, aware that he was now offering her more than his weapon. He accepted her as his equal. In a rush of movement, she pressed her lips against his and withdrew, enjoying the heavy weight of his sword in her hands. She walked back to the still-frozen man. Shiva held vigil over him, made sure that he was still encased in that paralyzing layer of ice.

She stopped a few inches from him and briefly wondered why this man was an enemy. But the rapier was heavy in her hands and it had to be done. It had to be finished.

She swung the rapier out into an arc and aimed for his neck.

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**A/N**: Well! That certainly took a long time. I am NOT giving up on this story. It's just that things have been a little active around here. But don't fret, I'm finishing it! In fact I have the next one ready and that will be out after one last look over. Hope this makes you happy! :D


	13. Chapter 13

_13/30—Release my darkness; bring me warmth_

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"_My love..." His mouth pressed against hers, a gentle brush of soft flesh. "How I've missed the feel of you." She snuggled closer to the source of pleasant sensations that made her body sing with thrill. She shuddered as his hands roamed and lingered in places no one else had touched before. "Nnnn..." She gasped as her mouth was claimed again. "You promised..." she whispered against the full mouth. "You promised you'd come when I needed you. You promised you'd save me."_

_She felt his lips curve up in a smile. "And so I shall..." he replied as his hands wandered lower, sliding down her narrow waist. "For you alone can release my darkness and bring me warmth." Long fingers hooked with her pants and tugged. "We can find our salvation in each other's arms. Save each other... Over and over._"

"_Oh." She sighed as she surrendered to what her body was feeling. "Yes...!" Her hands found his torso, and delighted in the feel of firm, naked skin._

"_Say my name," he whispered against her belly as he ran his hot tongue on her exposed skin. _

"_Oh." she gasped and her hands trailed up on powerful shoulders, powerful, corded neck and short, soft hair. "Cloud!" she exclaimed in frustration and need as he continued to tease her with his tongue. _

_His movements stopped. She looked down at her lover and saw green eyes that glowed like a cat's in the darkness. It was filled with hurt and hate. _

"_I am not Cloud..." He said, and suddenly the shape of his eyes changed. And she realized that she was looking not at her first love, but at the madman who killed everyone she had ever loved._

_Sephiroth. _

Tifa bolted upwards in the cot she was lying in. Her heart was racing in her chest, her cheeks burned. She looked around the room she stayed in; she was alone. The sheets were tangled and warm around her. She shook her head a little, slightly dizzy from the dream. She pushed off the pooled sheets of blanket and realized that she was half-naked under. She pulled her clothes closer to her body and frowned, annoyed at her exposure. She sat up straighter, claimed a brush from a nearby night stand and used it on her long hair.

She waited for her heart to calm down and couldn't stop herself from remembering her dream. His hands, his lips, the solid weight of his hard body against hers... all of it felt real. But the man was all wrong. She had a feeling that she was mixing them up somehow. She sighed and shook her head, leaving the brush where she took it and stood up. There was no sense in thinking about it. Her reality now demanded her attention. She sighed and distinctly remembered the recent fight and what happened afterwards. After she killed the man that she was later informed was a Restrictor, the Tsviets, led by Nero found them. Genesis' wounds were too great and as they moved to safety, he slipped into a coma. It had been days now since it happened. She refused to be parted from him so she had taken up lodgings inside the former Shin-Ra building and watched helplessly as he was immersed in a liquid healing solution, part mako, part something else, that would slowly renew him.

Shelke supervised the process; she took care of everything and was organized and meticulous about the process. There was nothing anyone could do now but wait patiently for him to wake up. She rubbed at her tired eyes and wondered about the hour. She sighed and put on a lab robe and exited her room, her feet automatically taking her to where Genesis lay.

It was dark when she entered. Her arms went to the wall to search for the switch for the lights but even when she flipped the controls, the lights remained out. She frowned. She could still see the small lights that the machine around the room gave off, which meant that there was electricity and things were running fine on their own. But the room was still bathed in darkness.

"Shelke?" she stepped back into the lit hallway and called out Shelke's name again, hoping that the young Tsviet was within hearing range and could help with the light. "Anyone?" she called again. This has never happened before. She lingered by the lit hallway and thought about going back to her room where an intercom was located.

But she was here to check up on Genesis. That shouldn't take too long. So she squared her shoulders and entered the dark room again. Maybe she'd be able to see him in the weak light of the machines. All she needed to do was to make sure that he was still alive anyway. Then she can go back and go find food or something.

As she walked to where she knew his aquarium-like bed lay, she started to feel the rising panic in her throat once again. She _still _wasn't used to the darkness, for shame. She stopped in her steps, took a deep breath and reminded herself why she was here. She just needed to take a quick look, that's all. It shouldn't be too hard.

Swallowing her fear and drawing strength from some reserve of courage she didn't know she had, she walked the last few steps and reached her destination. Her hand found the glass encasement and her hands lingered on the side, trying to decide if she could be satisfied by the feel of small vibrations made by the liquid as it ran along tubes. She sure as hell still couldn't see anything. She wondered if she could somehow remove the lid, dip her hands and feel him. That would be enough to reassure her, she thinks. She nodded to herself in the darkness, found the handle and prepared to lift.

"And what exactly do you think you're doing?" The silvery voice interrupted her thought as she jumped back at the sound. Her back collided with something warm, solid and, as she easily felt the hard swell of muscles against her skin,_ bare_.

There was only one man who had that voice and the body to go with it. "G-Genesis?" she squeaked and immediately turned around to face him.

His eyes glowed like a cat's in the darkness. "Were you expecting someone else?" he blinked slowly at her.

She brushed off the irritation she heard in his voice and tried to get closer to him. "A-are you alright? Are you fully healed?" She asked as her hands cupped his face. "I thought for sure—"

He turned away from her touch. "_You_, of all people, ask me if I'm alright. Am I not alright?" He seemed to hesitate at something and turned to face her again. "The wounds in my body may have healed but... The wounds you've caused are still open. My Heart, do you know how much it hurts right now? How much _I_ hurt?"

Tifa withdrew her hands and frowned, unsure of whether to feel anger or guilt. "Wounds I've caused? What are you talking about now?" She wondered briefly if he was still confused from all the medication. Maybe the mako got to his brain.

He continued in a quieter voice. "I went to find you as soon as I woke. You were sleeping. I wanted to be there when you opened your eyes, but I couldn't help myself, I..."

Tifa shook her head involuntarily, remembering her dream. She wondered how much of a dream it was, and how much of it was real.

"Who is Cloud?" His question hung heavy in the air. She felt a blush come to her cheeks. He took her stunned silence as her answer. "You keep secrets from me. You don't trust me."

Her temper got the better of her. "Look who's talking! Have _you _told me anything besides your own name? I didn't even know that you..." she paused, looking for a delicate way to put it. "...The Tsviets! They call you their Father!"

He let out an annoyed huff. "And so what? Are you so naive as to believe everything people tell you?"

She took an angry step forward. "What else am I supposed to believe? You don't tell me anything!" She felt him turn away again and she caught his arm before he could fully do so. "No. You don't get to ignore this. You don't get to feel hurt and justified and whatever else occurs in that head of yours. I'm done, okay? I'm done running. I'm done trying to pretend that this is something it isn't. You ask me about Cloud. Do you think it's—" she hesitated. "...it's easy? I loved him, okay? He's been at every turning point my life has taken. He was born a few yards from where I was and I always thought that we would die together, but we didn't. It's done, he's dead, like the rest of the people on the surface." She gripped him tightly. "And I'm alive. I'm here in the darkness, falling for a man I barely know..." Her voice had gradually trickled in intensity down to a whisper, then it came roaring back. "Do you think it's easy? Any of it? I'm scared as hell! You want me to trust you? How can I? Have you made it easy for me?" She hiccupped and that's when she realized that she's been crying, big fat drops of tears were spilling out of her eyes. She wiped her cheeks and inwardly cursed at how much of a cry baby she's become. She cried at everything now. A part of her idly wondered if that was the reason she and Shiva got along so well; because she was an inexhaustible water supply on account of her tears.

_Get a grip,_ she chided herself. Genesis was silent in front of her and the only way she knew he was still there was because of the arm that she was still squeezing. She let that go and turned around in an effort to compose herself. The only sounds in the room were her sobs that was gradually coming under her control.

Slowly, gently, she felt him come to rest behind her, both of his arms coming around to hold her around her waist. He said nothing, just held her tightly against him, softly breathing. He held her so tightly that she could feel his heartbeat against her back. As if there was nothing that separated them from each other. In time, they breathed as one.

He slowly released her. "Come..." He led her safely through the room until they came to stand in front of something that hummed faintly. Genesis let her go and backed away, then she heard something click and suddenly the world went bright. After a few moments, her eyes focused to adjust and see a large monitor in front of her displaying an all too familiar face.

It was a record file of Genesis. Tifa's hands came forward without a conscious thought and started scrolling down for more information. It contained everything. There were SOLDIER service records, experiment logs, the results of the genetic manipulation from birth until after presumed death when he was brought to Deepground... She read through it all, digesting all the information it contained.

Tears started to run down in her eyes again. When she had read enough, she turned back, expecting to see him beside her. But there was nothing but darkness.

Even if she couldn't see him, she knew he had gone again.

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**A/N**: I actually had to break this chapter into two because it had become too long! **Carrie88**, **Numinous-Alqua**, Auktober, LoliMochi , honey-taste, you guys are the best! Thank you for not giving up on this story, and for reviewing! Tune in. There's gonna be some... action soon! :D


	14. Chapter 14

_14/30—Never leave me again_

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Tifa stood blinking in the sudden whiteness. Her eyes trailed up and fixed on a tube light that glowed as if it had always done so, as if it hadn't betrayed her and was working when she needed it the most.

_Cheeky, __no good __piece __of..._ What use was it now? Genesis had gone off again; he certainly wasn't in the room now. For a moment she thought about the enormous amount of satisfaction she would feel if she broke the offending light. A high kick or a well-aimed projectile would do the trick. But shattering the poor, unsuspecting bulb would not solve her problems. She gave a mighty sigh and turned towards the door.

She gasped at the sight of Nero nonchalantly leaning against the wall, scrutinizing her. He offered no greeting, no explanation, nor did he cease watching her with his slanted eyes. With his long, unkempt hair, his brooding manner and his crimson gaze, he looked a lot like Vincent. _Only, __he__'__s __kinda __skinnier, __and, _she frowned, _he __replaced __the __red __high __collar __and __headband __with __metal __braces._

"Have you..." she started to say _...been __standing __there __the __whole __time __like __a __spook? __...witnessed __my __emotional __breakdown __and __got __a __kick __out __of __it? __...ever __heard __of __your __older __brother __by __the __name __of __Vincent __Valentine? _She considered each of these questions in turn but decided against vocalizing them. She thought that it was probably not in her best interest to piss off someone as creepy as this one. Dealing with one volatile redhead was enough.

Oh yes, there we go. Back to the matter at hand. "Do you know where he went?" she asked instead. That got a reaction. He straightened up and nodded. Without looking back at her, he turned and left the room, pausing at the exit to incline his head slightly in her direction before turning left at the hallway.

Tifa frowned, confused. Pointing the way would have sufficed, she thought as she followed after him. She gave another start as she saw Weiss, glorious, naked-to-the-waist-showing-off-rippled-muscles-Weiss, standing outside, leaning against the same wall that Nero's back had been against on the other side.

Weiss gave her a small smile and walked towards her. "We'll take you to him." He looked ahead at Nero who had walked directly to the elevators at the end of the hall.

Tifa cast a sideways glance at both of them as they entered the elevator. The brothers stood on either side of her. She broke the silence with an irritated sigh. "Why do I feel like I'm being escorted to my execution?"

Nero snorted and turned his head to the side. Weiss flashed her a devilishly handsome smile. "Have we ever given you a cause to distrust us?"

"There's always the first time." Tifa shook her head and bit off another sarcastic remark bubbling in her mouth. The rest of the elevator ride was spent in silence.

The doors opened to a wide room that was surrounded on all its side by glass, giving it quite a view of the city. The layout was almost a complete replica of the Presidential floor in the Shin-Ra building. Tifa's eyes immediately honed in to the man sitting behind the large table on the other side of the room. He was quite impossible to miss; what with his red hair and the fact that he was _still_ shirtless. Dionysius never looked this good, surrounded by food. Her mouth watered slightly. She had _not_ eaten all day.

A slight movement made her eyes dart to a patch of red to his side and realized that it was the body of Rosso proudly on display, with her leg spread across the table just so. Her eyes immediately narrowed when their eyes met and a hostile look crossed the other woman's face.

Tifa stepped forward undeterred. She saw Genesis stand and smile at her. She blinked confusedly at him. What the heck was he smiling at?

"At last she comes to me." He said as his smile grew wider still.

She cleared her throat and took another step. "We need to talk." She said simply.

He brightened considerably and walked towards her, but he seemed to think the better of it and stopped, content to let her come to him.

She frowned and stopped advancing. "I don't know what you're smiling about." She glanced at Rosso on the table again, who was still giving her a death glare. "Did I interrupt anything?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the other woman.

Rosso opened her mouth as if to speak but Genesis barked a command to be left alone with her. She stared at him, eyes wide at his sudden sharp tone. Then the Tsviets left the room without further delay.

When they were finally alone, he spoke. "Why do you believe that, despite what we share, I would find cause to look at someone else?"

Tifa opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. Heartbeats later, Tifa remembered herself and turned away, her cheeks reddening. "What _do_ we share? You speak as if I'm bonded to you or something."

"You are so honestly dense sometimes, woman." He shook his head and smiled at her. "What would it take? Should I get down on my knees and ask you to marry me?"

The previous scattering of red on her cheeks quickly covered the rest of her face. "No! _Look_, Genesis! A relationship isn't based on kisses—and, _and,_" her brain hiccupped as images of what followed after kissing came to her mind. "I came here to talk to you!" she settled with an indignant exclamation.

"That shade of red suits your complexion quite nicely." He smirked and stepped closer to her but stopped at an arm's distance away. "So go ahead and talk then. I'm listening." He replied.

She took a deep breath and began. She needed to stay calm but it seemed impossible to do that with this man. "I'm really pissed at you for a number of reasons. You keep calling me ridiculous pet names, you left me on the ledge because you heard some things you _didn't_ want to hear, you almost destroyed the city, which, maybe the_ last one_ standing on Gaia, and you tried to grope me while I was asleep! You... you're acting as if we're _intimate_. You arrogantly assume that I would give into you just _because_!"

Genesis was silent as her words echoed in the room. His smile was gone from his face and he did not speak for a long while. Tifa took his reaction with a small measure of alarm. _Did __I __hurt __his __feelings? __What __if __he __loses __it __like __Sephiroth __did? _She resisted the urge to take a step back.

"I..." He started to say but trailed off. He looked down at his hand, which he was opening and closing slowly at his sides. "I'm sorry. But when I'm with you I don't have complete control of myself. Sometimes I wish I..." His voice was soft, almost a whisper, and every word sent a shiver up her spine.

"I'm sorry, my love, but you know me now. I'm not perfect. You know I desire you. I go crazy at the thought of losing you. Our meeting, it was _fate_; it was not a coincidence that we stood side by side as the rest of the world crumbled. You're the one, the Goddess' gift, and I had to lose everything else in order to gain you. And I've come so close to screwing up that I..." he trailed off and shook his head.

"Genesis..." Tifa whispered, unable to say anything else.

"I guess... I'm asking. Can you give us a try?"

He avoided her eyes as if he was afraid of what he might see there. She felt numb all of the sudden. It was as if hearing his words drained her of all the strong emotions that wrought havoc on her nerves ever since he kissed her for the first time. There's nothing left inside her now. Her mind was quiet.

And her heart... It was beating madly, it told her in no uncertain terms that this was _it_. She drew a deep breath, then another, and finally spoke. "There's..." her voice came out hoarsely. She cleared her throat and tried again. "There's one thing I'd like to ask of you before I can respond to that."

His blue eyes caught hers. "Name it."

Her heart was thundering in her chest, she tried to still it for a moment, but then finally allowed it to take free rein. "Never leave me again. That's all I ask." She shook her head as if to emphasize her point. "I won't ask you to always love me, your feelings might change, I know that. I won't ask you to save me either, I've asked that of someone before and it just made us dependent on each other. I can try, no, I can do more than that, I can hold onto you and follow your lead. Just—_stay __with __me_. Stay until I let you go. I'll try to hold on as long as I can, maybe I'll even hold on forever. But if ever we will end, let me decide when and how."

Genesis was quiet, thinking on her words. When he finally lifted his eyes to look at her, it held an intensity that she couldn't gaze at for very long. At last, he spoke. "Are you sure that's all that you're asking of me?"

She frowned, thinking the worst. Her eyes lowered and she nodded her head. "As I said, if you can say yes to that, then, I'm willing to give this—_us_—a try."

Then he hugged her. Tightly. And she was reminded of the time in the dark theatre, when he saved her life and brought her to a world forever enveloped in darkness, like how Hades kidnapped Persephone to rule the underworld with her.

"I promise you, my heart, I will never stop loving you. I will never leave you, I will never let you go."

"Tifa," she whispered against his ear.

"What?"

"My name... My _real_ name is Tifa Lockhart. And I'm falling in love with you, Genesis Rhapsodos."

* * *

A/N: Augh, I don't know if I'm cut out to write sappy scenes like this. Where did my snarky Tifa go? Well, everyone turns to mush when an incredibly attractive man professes his love, so... As always, thank you to my dear reviewers! loveless an the living fantasy honey-taste **Numinous-Alqua tracyboo nu shi Yue, **and you, yes** you**, still reading this. I'm writing for you, so can you try to write (a review) for me too? :D


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